Potential sign of life: Scientists discover Phosphine on inhospitable Venus

We don’t have all the answers about the universe. Despite many space missions and countless hours spent on data from space, one cosmic question continues to intrigue scientists across the globe- are we alone in Universe?

Scientists now think ‘alien life’ is indeed a possibility, with a group of researchers detecting the chemical fingerprint of phosphine on the ‘inhospitable’ Venus.

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Though they did not discover actual life forms, phosphine is closely related to the presence of life. On Earth, the gas is produced by bacteria which survives in oxygen-starved environments.

So far, no one has found an abiotic pathway to phosphine, which makes the discovery even more compelling. However, further research can only provide conclusive answers, the research team says.

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“With what we currently know of Venus, the most plausible explanation for phosphine, as fantastical as it might sound, is life,” said Massachusetts Institute of Technology molecular astrophysicist and study co-author Clara Sousa-Silva to Reuters.

“This is important because, if it is phosphine, and if it is life, it means that we are not alone. It also means that life itself must be very common, and there must be many other inhabited planets throughout our galaxy,” she added.

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The study was led by astronomer Jane Greaves of Cardiff University in Wales. The researchers have published their findings in the journal Nature Astronomy.

Venus, with 96% of its atmosphere made up of carbon dioxide and a surface temperature of 400-degree Celcius, is considered as an inhospitable planet.